Losing faith in the integrity of NFL refs (re: non-call PI on Roy)

[Nav22]

I'll preface my post with this disclaimer: I have NEVER been the type of fan to blame a loss on the refs, and in general I'm pretty "ref-friendly". I've never really questioned a referee crew's motives and I cut them a lot of slack for bad calls (or no-calls) since they're imperfect humans, after all.

I was at the game today. My friend (who was rooting for San Diego) and I were at least 60 yards from the action (section C135) when Roy was blatantly mugged by Cromartie on a 2nd and 5 pass attempt in the 2nd quarter. We both spotted it instantly and simultaneously said "flag", anticipating the yellow laundry... which, of course, never came. Loud boos ensued.

It didn't "matter", ultimately. We moved the chains on the next play. And that flag wouldn't have saved us from the goal-line failure that the drive ended with.

But there is absolutely no way in hell that the ref standing 5 yards away (and who is paid to make that call) didn't spot what my friend and I spotted from 60 yards away. EVERYONE saw Cromartie grab Roy's arm with the ball in the air. You couldn't not see it. But I'm supposed to believe that the referee didn't?

Tim Donaghy, the ex-NBA ref who bet on games and yada yada, recently admitted in an interview that the refs would target players who were jerks to other refs. Iverson, 'Sheed, and Billups, among others. Which is completely absurd... the fans didn't pay $100+ to watch a ref settle a score.

It's an unacceptable lack of integrity... and after seeing what I saw today, I have to believe the NFL has an issue with referee integrity as well. I hate to believe that, but it's what I honestly believe.

No, I'm not saying there's a Donaghy-level scandal to be unearthed. I don't know if the refs hate Roy or if they love Cromartie or if they hate the Cowboys or if they love the Chargers or if they hate guys who wear #11 or... you get the idea.

But there's a reason the ref didn't throw his flag today on this particular play... and I will never believe he didn't see Roy's arm being grabbed.

I've seen Roy blatantly interfered with this year at least 3 times now without a flag being thrown. And I'm talking blatant, not questionable or "close". I know I'm not the only one here who's noticed it.

 

[Hoofbite]

This is what took you over the edge? As bad as the call might have been, there are calls each and every week that are just as bad.

Officiating this year has been atrocious.

 

[SultanOfSix]

This is what took you over the edge? As bad as the call might have been, there are calls each and every week that are just as bad.

Officiating this year has been atrocious.

I don't think you're really reading what he's saying. It's too atrocious to believe that something fishy is not going on. And I've suspected this for a while.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

The officiating has been on the decline I feel for the last few years. This year has reached a new level of ineptitude.

If the NFL isn't going to have full time officials, they need to add two or three more. If that doesn't cut it, then give the head coaches the ability to challenge a play for a specific penalty on a specific player. Two blue flags per team. If you get one right and the call is made or overturned, then you keep it. If you miss one and then get one right, you keep one until you screw it up.

ANYTHING is reviewable, but the challenging coach needs to say on which player and what he's looking for. You just can't throw the flag and say "offensive line was holding". You need to pick out a specific infraction against a specific player.

It's not going to make the game any longer since the length of the game is already dictated primarily by the number of commercials in a game. Throw the flag, cut to commercial, and when we come back the decision is made. Instead of a commercial break at the next change of possession, we stay with the game. The length of the game is unchanged, and the integrity of the game is massively improved.

Thoughts?

 

[playmakers]

Im sure the refs got a long talking to after Monday Nights game with 310 penalty yards and multiple PI calls. I didnt think they did a bad job today. They got it right with the Floyd call being uncatchable and Mike Jenkins got away with one when they said his feet tangled on Jackson. The refs are fine.

 

[Hoofbite]

Im sure the refs got a long talking to after Monday Nights game with 310 penalty yards and multiple PI calls. I didnt think they did a bad job today. They got it right with the Floyd call being uncatchable and Mike Jenkins got away with one when they said his feet tangled on Jackson. The refs are fine.

I think the refs were par for the course. Crappy both ways like always.

You're right though, they did get the uncatchable call right and Jenkins did a little more than tangle up.

 

[playmakers]

I ref football and its all perception. If your on one side your going to see it this way and vice versa. Being around refs I can tell you the only time they show favoritism is when there's a call that can go either way; they usually give it to the sideline of less idiots as a tiebreaker. Besides that these guys are all graded and have to be fair.

 

[Nav22]

This is what took you over the edge? As bad as the call might have been, there are calls each and every week that are just as bad.

Officiating this year has been atrocious.

Yeah, seeing it in person was what did it. I'm from the SF Bay Area and don't go to games very often. Actually, this was just my 4th NFL game ever.

When you see it on TV, you're not seeing the whole field (including the refs' locations) and you're not sure if it looks "obvious" just because the TV cameras do a great job or what.

But seeing how obvious the call was from where I was sitting... like I said, there's just no way the ref honestly missed that. It was fishy, and it reeked.

 

[Beast_from_East]

I agree, it was a total BS call.

However, Jenkins got away with an obvious PI on the Charger's next drive. The announcers said their feet got tangled, but on the replay you could see it was clearly PI. The ref was standing right there on the sideline and I am sure he had a good view.

I think that was a "make up call".


Overall, I thought the officiating was pretty balanced (as in bad calls on both sides). We did not lose the game due to officiating, we lost because our kicker cant hit the broad side of a barn and our o-line could not get 1 freaking yard.

Bad calls or not, the better team won.

 

[RoadRunner]

I ref football and its all perception. If your on one side your going to see it this way and vice versa. Being around refs I can tell you the only time they show favoritism is when there's a call that can go either way; they usually give it to the sideline of less idiots as a tiebreaker. Besides that these guys are all graded and have to be fair.

Well, those "refs" you hang around are horrible and unprofessional. They are letting personal bias decide calls. When a call could go either way the ethical and logical decision for the refs to make is no call at all on either team.

 

[Blast From The Past]

RW11 has been mugged a few times this year with a ref watching and no flag was thrown.... I smell a rat:bang2:

 

[Vtwin]

I'll preface my post with this disclaimer: I have NEVER been the type of fan to blame a loss on the refs, and in general I'm pretty "ref-friendly". I've never really questioned a referee crew's motives and I cut them a lot of slack for bad calls (or no-calls) since they're imperfect humans, after all.

I was at the game today. My friend (who was rooting for San Diego) and I were at least 60 yards from the action (section C135) when Roy was blatantly mugged by Cromartie on a 2nd and 5 pass attempt in the 2nd quarter. We both spotted it instantly and simultaneously said "flag", anticipating the yellow laundry... which, of course, never came. Loud boos ensued.

It didn't "matter", ultimately. We moved the chains on the next play. And that flag wouldn't have saved us from the goal-line failure that the drive ended with.

But there is absolutely no way in hell that the ref standing 5 yards away (and who is paid to make that call) didn't spot what my friend and I spotted from 60 yards away. EVERYONE saw Cromartie grab Roy's arm with the ball in the air. You couldn't not see it. But I'm supposed to believe that the referee didn't?

Tim Donaghy, the ex-NBA ref who bet on games and yada yada, recently admitted in an interview that the refs would target players who were jerks to other refs. Iverson, 'Sheed, and Billups, among others. Which is completely absurd... the fans didn't pay $100+ to watch a ref settle a score.

It's an unacceptable lack of integrity... and after seeing what I saw today, I have to believe the NFL has an issue with referee integrity as well. I hate to believe that, but it's what I honestly believe.

No, I'm not saying there's a Donaghy-level scandal to be unearthed. I don't know if the refs hate Roy or if they love Cromartie or if they hate the Cowboys or if they love the Chargers or if they hate guys who wear #11 or... you get the idea.

But there's a reason the ref didn't throw his flag today on this particular play... and I will never believe he didn't see Roy's arm being grabbed.

I've seen Roy blatantly interfered with this year at least 3 times now without a flag being thrown. And I'm talking blatant, not questionable or "close". I know I'm not the only one here who's noticed it.

Exactly.

Blatant is an understatement.

 

[jimmy40]

They are letting personal bias decide calls.

Prove it.

 

[jimmy40]

RW11 has been mugged a few times this year with a ref watching and no flag was thrown.... I smell a rat:bang2:

Yes the NFL wants their most popular team to lose.

 

[jimmy40]

I don't think you're really reading what he's saying. It's too atrocious to believe that something fishy is not going on. And I've suspected this for a while.

And yet you still watch, you must love wrestling.

 

[jimmy40]

I'll preface my post with this disclaimer: I have NEVER been the type of fan to blame a loss on the refs, and in general I'm pretty "ref-friendly". I've never really questioned a referee crew's motives and I cut them a lot of slack for bad calls (or no-calls) since they're imperfect humans, after all.

I was at the game today. My friend (who was rooting for San Diego) and I were at least 60 yards from the action (section C135) when Roy was blatantly mugged by Cromartie on a 2nd and 5 pass attempt in the 2nd quarter. We both spotted it instantly and simultaneously said "flag", anticipating the yellow laundry... which, of course, never came. Loud boos ensued.

It didn't "matter", ultimately. We moved the chains on the next play. And that flag wouldn't have saved us from the goal-line failure that the drive ended with.

But there is absolutely no way in hell that the ref standing 5 yards away (and who is paid to make that call) didn't spot what my friend and I spotted from 60 yards away. EVERYONE saw Cromartie grab Roy's arm with the ball in the air. You couldn't not see it. But I'm supposed to believe that the referee didn't?

Tim Donaghy, the ex-NBA ref who bet on games and yada yada, recently admitted in an interview that the refs would target players who were jerks to other refs. Iverson, 'Sheed, and Billups, among others. Which is completely absurd... the fans didn't pay $100+ to watch a ref settle a score.

It's an unacceptable lack of integrity... and after seeing what I saw today, I have to believe the NFL has an issue with referee integrity as well. I hate to believe that, but it's what I honestly believe.

No, I'm not saying there's a Donaghy-level scandal to be unearthed. I don't know if the refs hate Roy or if they love Cromartie or if they hate the Cowboys or if they love the Chargers or if they hate guys who wear #11 or... you get the idea.

But there's a reason the ref didn't throw his flag today on this particular play... and I will never believe he didn't see Roy's arm being grabbed.

I've seen Roy blatantly interfered with this year at least 3 times now without a flag being thrown. And I'm talking blatant, not questionable or "close". I know I'm not the only one here who's noticed it.

There were so many blatant holds on our Oline yesterday it was laughable.

 

[Gaede]

the refs certainly seem to have a problem with Roy. Time and time again the opponent blatantly interferes with him and there's no call.

That being said, that's just because they suck at their job. Jenkins pretty much tackled a receiver on a long throw and there was no call there either. They just plain suck.

 

[morasp]

All you have to do is look at the Steelers recent superbowl appearances to know the officiating isn't on the up and up. Just ask Mike Holmgren. Are the Steelers really that mistake free in super bowls or is there another factor?

 

[Nav22]

Prove it.

I didn't feel the way I feel until seeing what I saw yesterday, live. You really had to be there to comprehend just how obvious a call this was.

I was sitting at the 45 yard line behind the San Diego bench... the play happened at around the 25 yard line in front of the Dallas bench. And it was plain as freakin' day that Cromartie grabbed Roy's arm with the ball in the air.

You simply couldn't not see it if you were watching the play, even from 60+ yards away.

The ref saw the interference. I'll never be convinced otherwise. But for whatever reason, he chose not to call it. And there's no good reason for a referee to not throw his flag when he sees a penalty occur.

 

[Hook'em#11]

I say pull back the reins and rules that the refs have to look for/learn.. Let the football players play football and don't call any ticky tacky PI call, or hold. or Block in the back.

There were some BS calls in the Pissants/Egals game last night as well.

It is really getting bad.